Half Life
by TwitchyEars007
Summary: A man comes to Kagome for aid, telling her of a mystical parchment that has secrets of almost every demon and a precious village in grave danger. Two demons revived by Naraku are given Shikon shards, but their intentions endanger everyone involved.


Disclaimer- Inuyasha and co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. 

Do not steal the plot or any characters you do not recognize from the series of Inuyasha that appear. Didn't your mother teach you better?

Oh yeah, I thought I'd tell you people something. No Inuoc or Miroc or anythingoc. Yep, I'm keepin' the good ol' InuKag MirSan going. FIVE POINTS FOR ME. So when you see a new character, you don't have to cringe and mumble "Omg... it's another marysue... run AWAAAAY."

'Cuz I live life the good way. MARYSUE FREE IS THE WAY TO BE.

Alright, finally! Here we go!

-

Half-Life

Those who protect

--

The ominous howl of the wind bent trees drastically and stripped them of their precious leaves. Rain pounded on the ground until the mixture created a thick, swallowing mud. Against a deep blue sky, silver wisps of clouds hovered about a glorious full moon. Light shed from it fell against the soft ground of the village within a dark forest gently. None of the houses showed a flicker of candlelight; only one place dared shed any on such an ill-omened night: a shrine at the closest edge of the forest.

Inside this shrine it was mildly warm, what with the numerous candles around the room. A man dressed in the proper attire of a shrine keeper shuffled across the altar at the far end of it. Carefully, he lit the remaining candles until they illuminated a shining necklace. It was extremely important to this village, and appeared as a string of alternating white and red beads surrounding a very old flint arrowhead. This was the relic of a most powerful miko that lived in the village hundreds of years ago. Once upon a time it promised a new heir of her power and a future for the village. After many, many years it became just another artifact in the village, but as of late its original significance has been restored.

The man blew out his match and stepped down from the raise in the floor. He turned to face the altar then kneeled to the floor and bowed before it. His head touched the waxed wood and he began mumbling prayers under his breath, some in a different language.

As he did this, a faint scratching could be heard against the side of the house; like a rake against stone. Some of the candles were blown aside by drafts and feigned dieing, but returned a moment later. The shrine keeper had long graying hair neatly tied back with a white cloth to reveal his tanned, ageing face. Crinkles were evident from past worries, a scar shone a tad from under the eri of his garb, and his weather-beaten hands folded humbly before his forehead.

A candle blew out on the altar, and the priest didn't take notice. Then numerous ones began to blow out rapidly to make a whooshing noise. The priest did look up then with anxious eyes, slightly widened in awe. In a powerful breath all the candles in the entire shrine blew out. It was pitch black, and even the moonlight didn't shine through the windows. Sweat beaded his brow and all he could do was lower his head to the floor and pray some more.

One single candle returned to life on the left side of the table. The priest didn't raise his head from the floor, but did open his eyes and strain to see the events unfold on the altar. The light from the candle was an ugly black and a sickly silver, giving the necklace an ill-boded glow.

"…Priest…" a terse voice growled, dragging out the word. One could barely make out the long, sharp fangs from behind the speaker's lips.

He jumped at the title, but remained silent, knowing it would be disgraceful to address someone of such great status without knowing a name to call him or her by, and he was also frozen in natural fear.

"…Priest…" it repeated, this time slightly more irritated. "Why do you not answer me when I call you?"

He licked his dry lips and took a shaky breath. He held it for a moment, and then released it calmly. "Hai, youkai-sama."

"You have summoned me. For what purpose is this?" it asked somewhat angrily.

"The two demons… you remember them, do you not? They are returning…"

"…What demons?" it snapped.

The priest gave a humored chuckle. "Oh, you remember. Those that parted you and the priestess, they are coming again. This time, I fear the worst. Without Yume-sama I do not think we can defeat them, and you know well what that would mean."

"And this affects me?" The voice was hard and cruel.

"It certainly does. However, I do not come to lecture you about that. I have summoned you for the village people. They do not deserve the cruel, unforgiving vengeance of those two," the priest said calmly.

"Let your people deal with it how they will. I do not feel badly letting you die. You are nothing more then a source of nuisance to me. Why should I not be happy for this?"

"Yume-sama would not believe you," he mumbled.

"Shut your ungrateful mouth!" it hissed, "I should rip out your tongue for speaking her name, you repulsive-!"

_Sssssshk_

The pair of angered golden eyes flickered to the entrance of the shrine, and caught the deep brown gaze of a drenched and filthy boy. He held a rake in one hand and kept the other on the sliding door. Rain pattered onto the once dry floor and utterly dead leaves tumbled in on the dreadful wind. The priest had turned around by this time and whispered hurriedly to him, "Fool! Bow down and show respect!"

A crack of lightning made the boy jump more then it should have and, making sure not to look into those entrancing eyes again, he slammed the doors shut and rushed to the priest's side in a rushed kneel. "S-Sorry…" he mumbled.

A moment of silence ensued, and he could _feel_ the demon's eyes on him. He took a deep breath and brushed rain from his forehead discreetly.

"Boy," he heard, and closed his eyes tightly. "What is your name?"

"…Hachiro," he breathed in a calm way. He surprised even himself.

_Why isn't my heart beating in my throat? Why is my soul calm? This is the demon that's terrorized our village for centuries! I can tell that even the head priest fears it! Yet… why can't I?_

The demon glared at the boy coldly, infuriated that it was not treated with rightful fear. In fact, it was thinking nearly the exact same thoughts Hachiro was.

"Hachiro," it said slowly, testing the way it rolled off its tongue.

Silence ensued for several moments after that. It lay heavier and heavier on the inexperienced boy until he felt timid to breathe the wrong way. Then, in a snap of fingers, three more candles burst to life in the same nauseating colors in the far front of the alter to reveal the step from the lower platform to the higher elevated one.

"Boy," the demon said calmly, beckoning him to it.

He stood up in a mechanical sort of way and obediently followed the command. He stumbled on the step, as it were hidden beneath his shadow when he walked toward it, but caught himself quickly and stood head down before the demon.

Hachiro could feel the demonic presence of the being overwhelming him, and in his unsightly calm state his senses had instinctively become extraordinarily sharp. Although he had absolutely no idea what it was, he witnessed a dark navy blue haze lingering along the demon's body. Oddly enough, in this close proximity he felt calmed by it. However, he shivered when he glanced at where he thought its upper thigh should be. An intense black, incredibly negative energy radiated from it. It was very frightening to him.

He felt hands curl around his shoulder and spun him around. Hachiko faced his mentor, the head priest, with his bravest face on. Claws cut through his thin working smock and pinched his skin as the demon said, "I'll be taking him with me."

The priest snapped his head up and his eyes widened. "No! You can't! Not Hachiro!"

"If you want me to help this village, this will be your price."

The priest looked at the boy with watery eyes. His mouth opened and closed without forming words.

"It's ok. I'll be alright." Hachiro smiled warmly.

His teacher still waited a few moments, then sighed in defeat and bowed his head in shame. He simply could not bring his eyes to Hachiro's. He did not want him to remember the betraying look in them. "…Very well," he mumbled, "You may…have the boy…"

Without another word, the candles flickered out and the darkness swirled into nothingness. The strong presence of the demon was gone… along with Hachiro. As if blinds of darkness had been covering the windows, moonlight suddenly spilled onto the dark floorboards and onto the back of the sobbing man.

The necklace shined delicately on its stand, showing off its pearly white and deep, blood red beads boastfully. The flint arrowhead was eroded, but its mystical properties were hidden deep within its damaged shell.

The priest looked to it for answers, for strength. "Oh, Yume," he sighed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Where are you when your people need you most?"

--

A messenger ran as fast as his legs would carry him. His breaths came in well-practiced huffs as he kept his eyes on the horizon. His feet flew over the lush, wild grass in the greatest haste of his life. He knew the demon wouldn't be far behind.

It was a bright, sunny day, and he felt like laughing at the irony. A wonderful day like this shouldn't be wasted running from angry demons. Finally, something came into sight. He cracked a smile out of his chapped, dry lips. The village. The village meant safety and shelter. And, hopefully, it was the village of his destination.

A horrendous, earth-shattering roar sounded behind him, and the messenger hastened his pace. He didn't know he could. It was always said that when in life-threatening danger, a man could push his limits considerably.

Thundering paws crashed mercilessly into the earth as they bounded toward the man. It was at least a mile away, but with such enormous size it would catch up in no time. _If only I were to make it to the village. _This thought rushed through his head and he willed his legs to push ever onward. Bullets of sweat trickled down his face, and a painful stitch formed in his ribs. His left leg wobbled at the pain, but he tried to ignore it best he could.

_Just make it to the village… that's all I need…_

Kagome was kneeling on a hill at the edge of the village, gathering herbs from a flourishing bed. She hummed contently to herself as she took the stalks and placed them carefully in the woven basket. She heard a child gasping and looked up.

The 10-year-old boy put his hand on his forehead to act as a visor to block out the powerful sun's rays and exclaimed, "Wow! That man's awful fast!"

"Who?" Kagome asked as she stood up and walked over to him. He glanced at Kagome and smiled at her, recognizing the maiden as a kind-hearted woman. Pointing out past the village, he said, "That guy down there! Look how fast he's running!"

A skinny man dressed in a mint green kosode covered with a brown haori ran like a streak of lightning toward the village center. His face was bright red and his eyes were wide with fear. He ran faster then anybody Kagome had ever seen. (With the exception of demons and half-demons, of course.)

_What's he doing in such great haste here? And from his face it looks like the devil is flying at his heels! That's really odd_ Kagome thought to herself as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"It looks like he's going to pass out," the boy piped up, effectively snapping Kagome from her thoughts. She made a noise of distress as she noticed he was limping on his left leg, and instantly fled to the village entrance.

By the time she got there, she noticed a crowd of people surrounding Kaede's humble household. With a series of 'pardon's and 'excuse me's she had made it through the mass of people and into the house. She wasn't surprised to find Shippo, Sango, Miroku and Kirara there, but _was_ surprised to see Inuyasha.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked, and everyone looked to her. Except for Inuyasha, who acknowledged her with a twitch of his ears.

"Kagome!" Shippo shouted as he ran toward her on all fours and leaped to her shoulder. She couldn't help smiling as the boy nuzzled the side of her face affectionately.

A grunt of pain brought her back and she gazed pitifully at the man sitting on a stool. Kaede was working on a deep wound in his leg by applying stinging healing herbs and washing off the blood with a sharp smelling concoction. His eyes were screwed shut and his large hands fisted the skirt of his kosode tightly as another slew of boiling medical water was poured onto the wound. Water that spilled to the pot below his leg mingled with strings of blood to create a most disturbing mixture.

"As soon as this man made it to the brink of Kaede's village he collapsed and started wheezing. He wouldn't let anyone tend to him until Kaede had seen to it," Sango informed her.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked gently as she carefully maneuvered toward him.

"My….name…is Mamoru," he said through gritted teeth. "I've come… for you, Kagome."

Kagome was caught off guard, and Inuyasha's closed eyes opened in irritation. Instinctively, he grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga and growled, "I dare you to say that again."

Mamoru gave a bark of laughter, but clenched his teeth again as Kaede continued to tend to him. "No…no, please don't mistake the meaning behind my words," he said.

He looked at Kagome again with half-lidded hazel eyes. "Oh… Kagome…" he breathed, "To finally meet you…" Mamoru smiled just before his eyes fluttered closed and he fell back against the chair.

"Passed out, did he?" Inuyasha asked lazily as he refolded his arms in his sleeves and reset his back against the wall.

"It is best not to wake him; ye may stay here for the meantime. This story, I think, will be most interesting," Kaede advised.

--

"Kagome-sama," Mamoru said as he reached within his traditional brown haori. Kagome stared at him for a moment until she saw a parchment wrapped in an absolutely stunning fukusa. It was a deep, almost black purple with a full moon and two crescents on either sides, and large, black talismans hung off the sides. Kagome's fingers undid their knot carefully.

Her eyes widened as she took off the splendid cover and stared at an amazingly realistic drawing. It was on dry, old parchment grayed instead of yellowed, and the stunning image of a necklace shone on it. It had alternating red and white beads, and an olden arrowhead lay at its center.

"I have a message from the Head Priest, Kiyoshi," Mamoru began, "That's a necklace once worn by our great ancestor, Miko-sama. She was most powerful, and looked after the village and it's fragile ecosystem with utmost care. Then…she passed away, leaving behind this necklace. We believe it forebodes her successor, yet we have yet to find him… or her."

"Let me guess," Inuyasha said dryly as he stuck his finger in his ear and swirled it around. "You think _she's_ your successor."

Kagome shared a one-sided uncertain look at him. Inuyasha had closed his eyes and refused to meet her gaze.

"Um…no. Word has, surprisingly, reached us that _Kagome_ is the successor of _Kikyou_. I have been informed that she cannot be both."

Kagome released a pent up sigh and wiped her brow. _That's a relief…_

"However." Mamoru said, "As the new protector of the sacred jewel, I believe it your duty to see to this matter."

Kagome's mouth opened slightly and she felt a presence near her. She half turned and saw Inuyasha surprisingly close to her shoulder, kneeling on the floor beside her. Kagome nearly yelped at the suddenness of it all.

Kaede paused the churning of her dinner soup long enough for the wooden spoon to sound hollowly in the cauldron, and that was the only sound within the hut. No one knew where the dangerously thick silence had come from, but all eyes were on Mamoru now.

"Explain," Inuyasha spat.

"Two demons had been slain by Miko-sama and her companion hundreds and hundreds of years ago, yet they mysteriously disappeared immediately after their death. It was written that a search began that lasted for forty years, yet their remains had never been found. Also, the document with the description of their mystical powers disappeared as well."

"What?" Shippo piped up. Inuyasha growled at the interruption but was soon glad he hadn't drowned out the answer.

"Every single demon that Miko-sama had slain was written on an endless parchment and saved, in case another of the kin returned. Miko-sama included a description of the demon, a list of their powers, and a secret way to destroy them. Everything. However, by blessing the parchment with her sacred powers so as no demon could possess it, she left her own secrets within the parchment. It is rumored that she met her demise in the hands of a demon that somehow retrieved it, undid the spell, and destroyed her using the information she left."

"Do your clan ever retrieve the parchment?" Miroku asked, blue eyes intense and brow drawn low.

Mamoru sighed. "Unfortunately… in the fire that occurred after her death the parchment was burned to ashes, and then scattered in the wind."

Miroku sighed painfully. "Too good to wish for, I suppose," he gave a ghost of a smile, "It would have served a wondrous ally to us."

"Yes…" Mamoru too gave a strayed, thoughtful look, but snapped himself back to reality and continued, "Recently, our village heard the Shikon no Tama had been shattered. Then the two most dangerous demons Yume had slain returned, and with their poisoning the forest around us it's only a matter of time…" Mamoru hesitated and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"…Well?" Kagome asked gently.

"An old friend of Yume's returned, yet I fear that even with that power we couldn't defeat them. They seem so much stronger… it's almost too fantastic to believe." Mamoru's eyes looked longingly at the floorboards.

"Everyone in the entire village will perish… they don't deserve that. Not that brutal kind of death."

Kagome looked at him sadly. She parted her lips to speak, but before she could breathe the words Inuyasha spoke.

"We'll help."

She turned to him with a look of surprise. His eyes were staring hard at Mamoru, but she could tell he saw her expression from the corners. "They've got Shikon shards involved, right? Then we have no choice," he finished, and Kagome's shoulders sunk with a hopeful sigh. She gave him the tiniest of smiles, thinking, _I can tell the death of the village people affect him, too. Well, I hope…_

"When do we start?" Sango spoke up. "We'd be happy to go as soon as you are ready."

Mamoru answered, "If you'd like we can-."

Then the ground shook, and screams were heard outside. Immediately Inuyasha ran to the door and struck the swinging bamboo aside. The scene outside left everyone speechless and numb. The color from Mamoru's face drained, and he was barely able to whisper, "I-It… it's come after me…"

--

Japanese Lessons!

Hai- Yes.

Youkai- Demon. (Do I really have to say this one?)

-Sama is a honorification used for those in higher stat, like Lord or Lady.

Pretty sure that's all the Japanese I used, with the exception of names. And, honestly, you should all know these. Simple stuff. I'll probably use little more then this during the story.

So REVIEW and make me HAPPY. 'Cuz happiness equals upload.


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